'Niko Kadi' mobiliser Allans Ademba arrested in Ol Kalou

Police have detained 'Niko Kadi' mobiliser Allans Ademba in Ol Kalou, the activist said, as residents voted Thursday in a fiercely contested parliamentary by-election.

Ademba, who leads the youth voter registration movement with a large social media following, said he was taken to the Ol Kalou offices of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.

"I've been arrested. Niko Ol Kalau DCI," Ademba posted on his X account.

The circumstances of his arrest remained unclear on Thursday. Ademba did not immediately disclose the reason police gave for detaining him, and authorities had not stated by the time of publication.

Before his arrest, Ademba had been posting updates from polling stations in Ol Kalou, including a claim that officials were barring newly registered voters from casting ballots and only permitting those who had voted in the 2022 election.

More than 1,000 police officers were deployed across Ol Kalou constituency for the by-election, called after the death of former MP David Njuguna.

The seat has become a proxy battle between President William Ruto's United Democratic Alliance and the Democracy for Citizens Party, led by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Ademba has previously said he faces intimidation from state agencies over his voter mobilisation work, including the suspension of his TikTok account in March.